Public Citizen, which had long pressed for the drug’s removal, was happy; some (though definitely not all) Health Blog commenters were not:

“My mother is 95. She has an allergy to morphine. Darvon and Darvocet were the only pain meds that the PA could prescribe. What does she take now[?]“ wrote Kateb.

“I’ve been on Darvocet for 1 week now for a herniated disc/annular tear. I can’t take oxycodone because of severe vomiting. I figure I’ll just [be] careful and not over use it,” wrote LaLa.

And Sarah wrote: “I have taken this pain killer off and on for 30 years..I cannot tolerate ANY other. I have had severe reactions to anything morphine based or any synthetics that are similar to morphine, codeine etc. What is the alternative??”

There’s no single answer to that question, says Edward Michna, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School who practices anesthesiology and pain management at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Responses to pain meds vary, and in many cases, medicine is “not sophisticated enough to understand why,” he says. (Michna is also chair of the American Pain Society’s public policy committee.)

Needless to say, patients who take Darvon or Darvocet should have a conversation with their physician about the next step. The drugs were indicated for mild to moderate pain, such as that from osteoarthritis, Michna tells the Health Blog. That might suggest a chat about switching to Tylenol, with or without codeine, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen.

But those have their downsides, too, he says. Codeine, for example, makes a lot of people nauseous or sparks other GI problems, while ibuprofen can cause GI bleeding.

Other drugs indicated for moderate to moderately severe pain, such as tramadol, and tapentadol (sold under the brand name Nucynta), for moderate to severe acute pain, may also be possibilities, says Michna. “In pain, we have to individualize care based on the individual and prior experience,” he says. (In some cases, that may mean your doctor will recommend trying more powerful painkillers such as oxycodone or hydrocodone-containing drugs, which are intended for serious pain.) Of course, all drugs have risks in addition to benefits, so be sure to ask your physician about those.

For those who have had success at pain control using propoxyphene, the transition may not be easy. “It’s hard for people to switch,” Michna says. And, he adds, despite the fact that pain is the most common reason for visiting a physician, we are still very ignorant about chronic pain, pointing to the need for more research — and funding.

Comments (5 of 464)

Removing Dextropropoxyphene. I was given this since 1969 and never suffered the so-called contraindication. Neither did my friends who have the same illness I do. Because a few died through mixing it with liquor, millions have lost the one pain relief drug that was safe for them. Whoever did this terrible thing will pay.

12:29 am May 20, 2014

Lynn Northrup wrote :

The FDA has refused to answer one question - Was it the original Darvocet (Orange) or the Generic (normallly pink). I've asked many pharmacists and doctors and they can't answer. I had been on Darvocet since they came out with it after breaking my back in 6th grade and Darvocet has just been released on the market. I never abused it - was never addicted to it - never had heart problems - but that was with the original. I found I could not take the generic at all - this was found out after the pharmacy pushed generics on me. With the generics - my heart raced, I felt out of my body, my hands shook - but the original never did that to me. I can't take any other medications due to allergies to opiates (not just throwing up - I'm talking much worse - such as throat swelling up and unable to breathe. I'm living with Chronic Pain - Fibromyalgia, Senile Osteoporosis, Rheumatoid and Osteo-Arthritis, chronic bursitis in my shoulders, ellbows, rear end, knees, and top of my feet. I have 9 fractured vertebraes in my thoracic region, 2 herniated discs, and so much osteo-arthritis in my lumbar that my pain specialist can't even do injections as he would normally do - he has to go in through the side. I do not believe the FDA whatsoever as they didn't and won't stress whether it was the original or generic, but most law suits had to drop their cases from the original company to the company that made the generics. So sad that the FDA can be paid off and want more people addicted to drugs.

8:44 pm January 3, 2014

Sandra Walker wrote :

Return for Pain nothing work nothing!!!! It works and does not give you cancer.Some medication reads on the lable Cancer rusk.What's wrong with this picture.

8:07 pm October 1, 2012

frank wrote :

just going to not say anything on this anymore--i don't even cuss anymore an still ca not get posted--all my time down the drain

12:13 pm June 14, 2012

Medication recall concern wrote :

I understand that all the foreign sources that were selling darvocet are now restricted in the US. Is the FDA taking over our lives and freedom, you decide.